Tom Sykes closes in on World Superbike Championship title

Tom Sykes took a big step towards his first World Superbike Championship title with an impressive double race win at Magny-Cours in France, while Ireland’s Eugene Laverty was placed second.

The Kawasaki Racing Team rider, who had also started the day from pole position, stretched his point lead to 37 with a third double race win of the season.

Sykes assumed control from the early stages of race one and took a comfortable victory ahead of Factory Aprilia duo Sylvain Guintoli and Laverty.

Sykes dominated race two and pulled away from Laverty and Guiltoli, his closest challengers in the championship standings.

As drizzle started to fall on the French circuit the Aprilia duo crashed at turn five, causing the race to be stopped.

But as the results were based on the previous completed lap, which was the 21st of the race and enough to constitute a finished race, Laverty was placed second and Guintoli third in the official results.

Sykes now leads Laverty by 37 points in the standings with Guintoli a point further behind with the final round of the championship at Jerez in Spain on October 20.

With 25 points available to the winner of each race at Jerez, Sykes could secure the title in the first race at the Spanish circuit.

On a good day for British riders in France, the World Supersport title was won by Lincoln's Sam Lowes after the Yakhnich Motorsport Yamaha rider finished the Magny-Cours race in second.